Background: The story of relations between the Turks and the Armenians is a never-ending tragedy. There was everything… Everything but friendship.

Objective: bring together the people of Turkey and Armenia, who have been feuding for over a hundred years. TANGO Network, which unites non-government organizations in both countries, believe that the time to break the vicious circle has come.

Idea: To create the longest manifestation of friendship ever between those who have almost never enjoyed friendship.

Solution: On December 6, 2013 two people from Armenia and Turkey gave each other a hand. On December 8, after 43 hours, they set a world record in the duration of a continuous handshake. Despite wind and cold. Showing that it is possible to close the border between countries, but not between people.

Results: It caused a sensation. And not only in Turkey and Armenia. More than 250 media coverage in 11 countries. More than 40 million people reached.

But what is most important, is that it has found massive support.

3 days of live act: the longest handshake in the history of mankind between those who almost never enjoyed friendship.

Intensive PR before, during and after the event. A commemorative sign was installed after that as a reminder that one can close the border between countries but not between people. This sign is forever.

We set a goal to reach a wide range of media

– first of all the most popular news and socio-political media in Armenia and, Turkey and Georgia

– as a second target international media in Georgia, Russia and other “neighbors” where many Turks and Armenians live.

While it was easy to get the Georgian media to the stage to cover the event, it was more complicated to get the coverage in Armenian and international media.

To make it possible we arranged the transfer from Yerevan for all the journalists who showed their interest. As for Turkish, Russian and other international media we faced a problem – all the international journalists based in Georgia were relocated to Kiev because of the protests which had begun the same dates of our event.

So we had to be the journalists ourselves – we hired a cameraman and made all the soundbites and raw video to supply to all the interested TV channels abroad. The same efforts were made for print and online media – with all the details and photo materials.

It caused a sensation. And not only in Turkey and Armenia. More than 250 media in 11 countries. More than 40 mln people reached. But what is more important, it has found massive support. Foreign Ministers shook hands for the for the first time in 5 years. It was suggested to re-initiate dialogue on opening the border.